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New-Build Rental Valuation in London: How to Check the Developer's Rent Estimate
Short answer: A developer's rent estimate is built to support a sale, usually before the block completes and before any flat has let. A new-build rental valuation prices the f…
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Owning and Letting a London Flat from China: The Whole Journey
Short answer: You can own and let a London flat without ever standing in it. Six things must be in place: a UK bank account, a managing agent instructed before completion, the…
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ONS Average Private Rent in London: What the Figure Actually Measures
Latest figure (ONS, released 16 September 2026): London's average private rent was £2,332 a month in August 2026, up 3.5% on the year (ONS bulletin). The June 2026 figure belo…
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Letting your London flat from abroad: how the China Desk runs it end to end
Short answer: you can let a London flat while you live overseas, and you never need to fly in to do it. Our China Desk runs the whole tenancy on your behalf — viewings, refere…
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New-build rental hotspots: Nine Elms and Canary Wharf in 2026
Short answer: London's strongest new-build rental hotspots in 2026 are the riverside regeneration zones — led by Nine Elms and Canary Wharf, with Royal Wharf, Stratford, Wembl…
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Letting agent vs estate agent: which do you need?
Short answer: an estate agent sells homes; a letting agent lets and manages them. If you're selling, use an estate agent. If you're letting — especially a new-build or from ov…
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How much rent can I get for my London flat?
Short answer: it depends on your specific flat, not just your postcode — the floor, the view, the finish and the building it sits in move the rent more than the area does. The…
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The UCL Rent Guarantor Scheme in 2026: how it works for international students
Short answer: UCL runs a Rent Guarantor Scheme that lets eligible full-time students — mostly overseas students with no UK guarantor — rent privately in London, with UCL stand…
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From off-plan to tenant-ready on day one: letting a brand-new London flat
Short answer: letting an off-plan London flat on day one is a sequence, not a scramble. Confirm the handover date, run the snagging walkthrough, get the compliance certificate…
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The Non-Resident Landlord Scheme: what overseas owners of a London rental need to know
Short answer: if you live abroad and let a London property, the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme applies. Your letting agent must deduct tax at the basic rate — 20% — from your re…
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Why overseas tenants pay a premium, and how full disclosure earns it honestly
Short answer Renting to overseas tenants in London tends to achieve a stronger rent because unfamiliarity carries a premium — an applicant moving from abroad pays for the comf…
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A £36,000-a-year home should carry more detail than a used car
Short answer A rental listing should include far more than most do: every appliance photographed and specified, the heating and cooling system named, the flooring and finishes…
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Inside our Giraffe 360 capture
Short answer A property virtual tour and a laser floor plan come from a single scan of the property using a Giraffe 360 capture system, which produces HDR photography, a high-…
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Why we plan and run every advert in-house
Short answer Yes, most letting agents outsource property marketing, and that is exactly why we keep it in our hands. Harvey W James plans and runs every advert in-house, with …
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The numbers every landlord should ask a letting agent for
The short version When you interview a letting agent, you are usually shown one number: how many properties they manage. It is the easiest number to inflate and the least usef…
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